Desk pad and pocket piece therefor



July 7, 1931. M.`s. Lowi-:R

DESK PAD AND POCKET PIECE THEREFOR- Filed Jan. 2, l195o Jn/enfan- L il wf. d

Patented July 7, 1931 UNITI-:DSTATES PATENT orties MELVIN S. LOWER, 0F BAR-BERTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE SUN RUBBER OOMIANY, A

-- CORPORATION OF OHIOl lDESK PAD' AND POCKET PIECE THEREFOR Application filed January 2, 1930. Serial No. 417,970. i

The ordinary desk pad has a comparatively soft or yielding surface so that, particularly where a blotter overlies the same, it does not form a satisfactory foundation for a sheet of' paper to be written upon. One of the objects of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel pad that will be free from the objection just noted.

In carrying out the foregoing object of my invention I employ for the body of the pad a comparatively hard panel, conveniently of a material such as linoleum or congoleum, and provide the same with novel pockets of rubber affixed thereto. These pockets may be employed on body members or panels of other types, however. Therefore, my invention may also be said to have for its objects a novel form of pocket for any kind of desk pad as well as a novel form of poclreted pad.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention'and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is aplan view of a pad vembodying my invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on line 2 2 of Fig. l, the rubber flap being shown raised, in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a section on the same scale as Fig. 2, taken on line 3*-3 of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 3 of the drawings, l represents a panel of any desired material, the same comprising, in accordance with' one feature of my invention, a thick layer of hardened plastic material mounted on a fabric backing 2 of which may conveniently be a piece of burlap or the like. Underlying the backing is a facing layer 3 of felt. In other words, the parts l, 2 and 3 constitute a panel having the characteristics of linoleum or congoleum, faced on the underside with felt that will prevent the panel from scarring a surface on which it may be laid.

Attached to the panel are rubber pocket pieces under which papers may be slipped or which will receive the ends of a blotter if it be desired to cover the panel with a blotter. Viewing the inventionl in one of its aspects, the corner pieces may be of any desired form. In the particular arrangement illustrated, however, there is disclosed a novel form of pocket, each pocket piece being long enough to receive an entire end of the panel, and there being two of such pocket pieces, one at each end. Each long, comparatively wide, fiat member having cut into one long edge a deep recessy or pocket into which an end of the panel is inserted; the recess or pocket being closedon all sides except vthat through which the panel extends. another way, it may be said to be composed of two long strips of rubber i and 5 united three of their edges by a thick U-shaped frame-like part 6 that holds the elements fl and 5 in spaced relation to each other. The element-s 4, and 6, are preferably formed as one integral piece of soft rubber, although this is not essential. When my improved pocket pieces are employed in connection with a body member or panel such as shown, `the ends of the body piece or panel are entered into the recesses or pockets. in the pocket pieces and. are wholly enclosed thereby; suitable adhesive, as indicated at 7, being placed between the wall' 5 of each pocket piece and the underside of the body or panel. Thus the element or wall 5 is fixed to the panel, whereas the part or wall 4 is left free and may be swung up as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to permit papers or the ends of blott-ers to be inserted between the same and the body of the pad.

It is rather difi'icult to secure the felt to the fabric backing. can be successfully 'accomplished by first slrinifcoating theupper face of the felt with friction rubber and then cementing the coated face of the felt to theunder side the panel. This method of attachment of the felt also permits the felt to be carried underneath the exposed under face of the pockets so that no rubber will come in Contact with the desk or other surface on which the pad is laid.

pocket piece comprises aV Or, viewing the pocket member in along I have found that this This form of my invention is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the layer of cement 7 is between the lower wall or flap of the pocket piece and the under side of the panel instead of between said wall or flap and the felt. The felt is carried across the pocket to the edge of the panel and is secured thereto, as Well as to the fabric` backing of the panel, by the skim coating and cement indicated as a whole at 8.

My improved body7 or panelfhas the advantage of affording a comparatively hard smooth surface that will serve better to support a sheet which is being written upon than do the ordinary types of desk pads. The improved pocket pieces, regardless of the character ofthe body or panel, will hold large blotters in place in a. more satisfactory way than do the ordinary corner pieces, and furthermore, they provide pockets of the size to receive long sheets of papers that cannot successfully be held by the usual small corner ieces.

lWhile I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, and a single modification thereof, l do not desire to be limited to the exact structural `details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the dennitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:-

1`. A desk pad comprising a panel having a. smooth hard surface and soft rubber members fitting over edge portions ef the panel and extending underneath and across the top of the panel, the portions of said members underlying the panel being secured thereto, and the top portions of said members being loose to form pockets between the Vsame and the panel.

2. A desk pad comprising a panel,`and soft rubber members fitting over two opposite edges of the panel and extending throughout the entire length thereof, portions of said members underlying said panel and fixed thereto, and other portions of said members loosely overlying the panel.

3. A desk pad comprising a panel of hard elastic material, and two wide loose soft rubber pieces extending across the entireV width of the panel at opposite ends, said pieces being secured to the panel along all of their edges except their long inner edges.

4. A desk pad comprising a panel having pockets, a layer of felt underlying the entire panel and skim-coated with friction rubber, and cement between the coating on the felt and the under face of the panel.

5. A desk pad comprising a panel having -a fabric backing, rubber pockets on the panel l provided with parts exposed on the under side of the panel, a layer of felt underlying the panel and the said exposed parts of the pockets, a skim coat of friction rubber on the top of the felt, and cement between the said skim coat and the adjacent parts of the panel and pockets securing the felt thereto.

6. A desk pad comprising a stiff panel of hard elastic material and a wide soft rubber flap as long as the panel is wide everlying the same at each end thereof, said flaps being secured to the panel alo-ng all of their edges except their long inner edges, whereby the stiff panel is provided with long deep yieldable pockets open at their inner edges and closed at their other edges.

ln testimony whereof, lI sign this specification.

Y MELVIN S. LOWER. 

